


The World Above

by Natasja



Category: The Little Mermaid - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen, Romance, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-30
Updated: 2013-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-30 22:44:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1024273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natasja/pseuds/Natasja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Triton was not over-reacting when he worried about his youngest daughter's forays to the Surface. He feared that she would share her mother's fate, and he was right to do so.</p><p>Ariel's latest trip to the surface didn't go nearly as smoothly as Disney would have you believe, and she met Prince Eric in a very different fashion...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Capture

 

King Triton had warned his daughter again and again that humans were to be avoided, that she was _not_ to go to the surface.

Perhaps it was the memory of his beloved wife, trapped in a fish-eater’s net and screaming for him to get their children to safety, while the humans laughed about the fame and fortune that such a prize would bring them, that made him so stern with his adventurous youngest daughter.

But Ariel was sixteen, and immortal as all teenagers believed themselves to be, and totally heedless of the dangers that came from running off without telling anyone, with only a fish for company or protection.

And the more he tried to protect her, the more she chafed at what she saw as her father being unreasonable. Mercifully, his daughters had been too young to remember what happened to Queen Athena, and Triton remembered too clearly to wish to re-liveit, even as a cautionary tale. Ariel did not understand her father's fear for her, and he could only hope that she was not forced to learn such a lesson the hard way.

Their latest argument over the matter had ended in a shouting match, though Triton hated raising his voice to his children, before Ariel had swum away in tears. He had sent Sebastian to keep an eye on her.

King Triton had no illusions about whether or not the crab would succeed in keeping Ariel in one place, but perhaps his presence would inspire her to be a bit more careful, if only to spare Sebastian from Triton’s wrath should Ariel's reckless behaviour place her in harm's way.

 

Despite their frequent clashes, Triton loved Ariel with all his heart, so when Flounder and Sebastian returned alone, frantic with the news that Ariel had been caught in a fishing net, attached to a large Human Ship, Triton didn’t think twice about leaving orders for his warriors to stand ready to protect the Kingdom, should Humans come searching, summoning his elite personal guard, and breaking his own decree that Humans were to be avoided at all costs.

 

He would not lose Ariel forever to the land and its fish-eating barbarians.

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Ariel was scared.

  
She should have listened to her father. She could have compromised with him, the occasional visit to the surface as long as she told him and was accompanied with a guard or something, and gone at night or at High Noon, when a possible sighting would be doubted as a trick of the eyes.  
  


Talia, one of the mermaids in her father's Elite, would have backed her up, claiming a chance to gain intelligence on a potential threat.  
  


Instead, she had become angry that her father refused to be moved by her protests, evaded Sebastian's attempts to keep her out of trouble, and now found herself caught in a net, surrounded by Humans, not all of whom looked friendly.

  
Finally, a human with a big hat, like the pictures of sea captains Ariel had collected in her grotto, broke the silence. "Huh. Never thought I'd actually be blessed to see a mermaid. Only thing better than this would be to see King Triton himself."

  
Better for Ariel, certainly, but not for the Humans. Even if Ariel managed to get out of this on her own, there was almost certainly going to be a hurricane in the near future, aimed straight at the boat that had taken her.

  
But the captain's words had opened the gates, and the humans crowded around, trying to get a closer look, as though Ariel was in interesting new rock formation after a volcano. A short sailor, whose grin revealed several missing teeth, elbowed a man who looked as though he would rather be anywhere else. "Not so much 'Nautical Nonsense', now, is it, M'Lord?"

  
A tall young man, near to Ariel's age, knelt down beside her. "Don't be afraid, miss. No one here will hurt you."

  
His clear blue eyes were kind, and Ariel almost believed him, but her trust was shattered when she was attacked by something huge and hairy, which made a sound like the honking of the seals, but much louder and harsher. Hampered by her tail, Ariel tried to scramble backward into the crush of bodies as another sailor dragged the animal away.

  


* * *

A few of the sailors laughed, but were cut off by an immense crash of lightning. The last time Ariel had heard that level of her father's fury had been when a merman from a different kingdom (the ocean was too large to be ruled by just one king, after all) had made a dirty joke about Ariel's oldest sister, Aquata. It stuck in her memory as one of the few times she had seen her sister cry, and one of the even fewer she had actually seen her father lose his temper. King Triton had raised his voice at her sometimes when he caught her visiting the surface, but never to that extent of fury.

  
Despite the growing storm, Ariel couldn't help but feel relieved. Clearly, Sebastian and Flounder had returned safely, and her father was looking for her. But the ocean, even just her father's Kingdom, was a big place, and held hundreds, if not thousands, of ships. It could be a long time before they found her.

  
The sailors might not have known the reason for such sudden fury, but they were not so foolish as to stay on the open water in a hurricane, especially if there was a chance to make it back to a safe harbour. Even as the ship turned, Ariel could see that the storm was heading more to the left, which Ariel knew to be a favourite fishing spot. Of course, her father would look for fishing boats first, if Flounder had said that she had been caught in a net.  
  


They were making good speed toward shore as Ariel tried desperately to think of a way to signal where she was.  
  


Of course! Once, when she was very small, Ariel had become lost when they had visited a travelling fair. She had been terrified, but Triton had found her quickly. Ariel had been singing a lullaby to make herself feel better, and promptly burst into tears when her father had located her. Triton had soothed her with the gentle care that few outside of his family saw, and said that he would always find her, and would know the sound of her singing anywhere.

  
Ariel did not remember much of her mother, but she remembered a love song that Queen Athena had been very fond of, and would sing whenever one of the seven sisters was sad or upset.

_"What would I give to live where you are?_   
_What would I pay to stay here beside you?_   
_What would I do to see you smiling at me?_   
_Where would we float, where would we swim,_   
_Below all these waves cool and dim?_   
_Just you and me, and I could be,_   
_Part of your world."_   
  


The storm stopped moving toward the fishing boats, and began moving twice as fast, chasing the ship that Ariel was trapped on.  
  
But the ship was already in the harbour, and the sailors were yelling and dropping anchors and throwing ropes, and the young man with the blue eyes was being hustled off the boat and up to a castle, Ariel in tow.

 

* * *

As the sight of the bay faded into the distance, so did Ariel's hope. Rescue would be delayed until the sea-people could find a way to reach her on land.

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

Ariel was scared.

  
She should have listened to her father. She could have compromised with him, the occasional visit to the surface as long as she told him and was accompanied with a guard or something, and gone at night or at High Noon, when a possible sighting would be doubted as a trick of the eyes.  
  


Talia, one of the mermaids in her father's Elite, would have backed her up, claiming a chance to gain intelligence on a potential threat.  
  


Instead, she had become angry that her father refused to be moved by her protests, evaded Sebastian's attempts to keep her out of trouble, and now found herself caught in a net, surrounded by Humans, not all of whom looked friendly.

  
Finally, a human with a big hat, like the pictures of sea captains Ariel had collected in her grotto, broke the silence. "Huh. Never thought I'd actually be blessed to see a mermaid. Only thing better than this would be to see King Triton himself."

  
Better for Ariel, certainly, but not for the Humans. Even if Ariel managed to get out of this on her own, there was almost certainly going to be a hurricane in the near future, aimed straight at the boat that had taken her.

  
But the captain's words had opened the gates, and the humans crowded around, trying to get a closer look, as though Ariel was in interesting new rock formation after a volcano. A short sailor, whose grin revealed several missing teeth, elbowed a man who looked as though he would rather be anywhere else. "Not so much 'Nautical Nonsense', now, is it, M'Lord?"

  
A tall young man, near to Ariel's age, knelt down beside her. "Don't be afraid, miss. No one here will hurt you."

  
His clear blue eyes were kind, and Ariel almost believed him, but her trust was shattered when she was attacked by something huge and hairy, which made a sound like the honking of the seals, but much louder and harsher. Hampered by her tail, Ariel tried to scramble backward into the crush of bodies as another sailor dragged the animal away.

  
A few of the sailors laughed, but were cut off by an immense crash of lightning. The last time Ariel had heard that level of her father's fury had been when a merman from a different kingdom (the ocean was too large to be ruled by just one king, after all) had made a dirty joke about Ariel's oldest sister, Aquata. It stuck in her memory as one of the few times she had seen her sister cry, and one of the even fewer she had actually seen her father lose his temper. King Triton had raised his voice at her sometimes when he caught her visiting the surface, but never to that extent of fury.

  
Despite the growing storm, Ariel couldn't help but feel relieved. Clearly, Sebastian and Flounder had returned safely, and her father was looking for her. But the ocean, even just her father's Kingdom, was a big place, and held hundreds, if not thousands, of ships. It could be a long time before they found her.

  
The sailors might not have known the reason for such sudden fury, but they were not so foolish as to stay on the open water in a hurricane, especially if there was a chance to make it back to a safe harbour. Even as the ship turned, Ariel could see that the storm was heading more to the left, which Ariel knew to be a favourite fishing spot. Of course, her father would look for fishing boats first, if Flounder had said that she had been caught in a net.  
  


They were making good speed toward shore as Ariel tried desperately to think of a way to signal where she was.  
  


Of course! Once, when she was very small, Ariel had become lost when they had visited a travelling fair. She had been terrified, but Triton had found her quickly. Ariel had been singing a lullaby to make herself feel better, and promptly burst into tears when her father had located her. Triton had soothed her with the gentle care that few outside of his family saw, and said that he would always find her, and would know the sound of her singing anywhere.

  
Ariel did not remember much of her mother, but she remembered a love song that Queen Athena had been very fond of, and would sing whenever one of the seven sisters was sad or upset.

_"What would I give to live where you are?_  
What would I pay to stay here beside you?  
What would I do to see you smiling at me?  
Where would we float, where would we swim,  
Below all these waves cool and dim?  
Just you and me, and I could be,  
Part of your world."  
  


The storm stopped moving toward the fishing boats, and began moving twice as fast, chasing the ship that Ariel was trapped on.  
  
But the ship was already in the harbour, and the sailors were yelling and dropping anchors and throwing ropes, and the young man with the blue eyes was being hustled off the boat and up to a castle, Ariel in tow.

 

* * *

As the sight of the bay faded into the distance, so did Ariel's hope. Rescue would be delayed until the sea-people could find a way to reach her on land.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm messing with the time-line a bit here. Imagine that Ariel saw Prince Eric’s ship the same trip that she saw Scuttle about the fork and pipe.


End file.
